Arthur Kornberg
He figured out how life copies itself, isolating the enzyme that builds DNA and opening the modern era of molecular biology.
1918–2007 (age 89)·American biochemist·Birthday: March 3·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Arthur Kornberg was a quiet man from Brooklyn who spent his life in a lab, driven by a simple, monumental question: how do cells make more of themselves? His work was meticulous, focused on the chemistry of the cell's nucleus. In 1956, after years of grinding experiments, his team at Washington University in St. Louis isolated DNA polymerase I, the enzyme that assembles the long chains of DNA. This wasn't just discovering a molecule; it was capturing the very scribe of genetic inheritance in a test tube. The Nobel Prize followed swiftly. Kornberg's legacy is the foundational toolkit of molecular biology—his enzymes became the essential tools for genetic engineering, PCR, and sequencing, turning his pure curiosity into the infrastructure of biotechnology.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Arthur was born in 1918, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1918
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1918Born
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Started school
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1931Became a teenager
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Could drive
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1936Could vote
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Turned 21
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1948Turned 30
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 40
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 50
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 60
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 70
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 80
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Died at 89
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Awarded the 1959 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the mechanisms of DNA and RNA synthesis.
- First to enzymatically synthesize DNA in a test tube using the enzyme DNA polymerase I.
- Authored the definitive textbook 'DNA Replication', a cornerstone for generations of scientists.
- Founded the Department of Biochemistry at Stanford University School of Medicine, building a world-leading department.
Did You Know?
His son, Roger Kornberg, also won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2006, making them a rare father-son Nobel pair.
Kornberg kept a vial of the first synthesized DNA in his office as a prized possession.
He was an avid runner and could often be seen jogging around the Stanford campus.
Despite his monumental discovery, he often said he never had a 'Eureka' moment, just years of hard work.
““I’ve never had a novel idea in my life. I’ve been an opportunist, taking advantage of what’s presented.””
